Zazio's Chefs Table

Hi Foodie friends! As you know I love to cook, but it’s also nice to treat yourself to dinner and have someone else cook for you. One of our favorite restaurants is Zazio’s located in the Radisson hotel in downtown Kalamazoo. They have been on our top 5 favorite restaurants for close to 8 years now! They remember our favorite drinks, dinners, and the staff goes above and beyond to make sure we have the best time each, and every time, that we dine with them.

I was recently asked to host a Chef’s table at Zazio’s on January 28th, so of course I said YES! I met with one of the chef’s , manager, hostess, and the server that would be helping me out and they let me create my own 5 course menu. Leaving me to my own devices creating a 5 course menu? Wine pairing, for 24 people. LIVE. No pressure there..

I prepped from 12:30 that day until around 5:30 and everyone arrived at 6:30 for the best dinner of their life. Ok, so at least the entertainment was unforgettable.

So I started out with one of my favorite salads, Pomegranates for sweetness, goat cheese for creaminess, and candied pecans for crunch.

Second course was a play on shrimp scampi with tomato pasta, a spicy shrimp broth, and a gulf prawn. (Note this was also my first time for deveining a shrimp. GROSS. But I did learn something!)

Next up, the third course was probably my favorite for presentation. Chicken Pot Pie turned into stew with root vegetables and then topped it with a puff pastry, and wait for it, a FRIED CHICKEN WING. Out of this world, right?

Fourth course, was brisket with a purple potato puree, jalapeno corn cake, and topped with my tangy Memphis BBQ sauce. I helped the chef cure the brisket a week in advance and it was a huge hit and everyone’s favorite dish of the night!

Finally, we finished with a chocolate macadamia nut brownie topped with Italian meringue, toasted coconut gelato, and a graham cracker crunch. Best part? They let me use the torch to brown the meringue! Just kidding, the best part was eating it!

I want to thank Zazio’s and the entire staff for being such awesome people, and to everyone who helped me put my Chef’s table together! If you live in Michigan or are passing through, I highly recommend you try Zazio’s!